Friday, April 30, 2010

On the 50th anniversary of the birth control pill, research is indicating that what the Church has preached all along is correct: chemical birth control is bad for women and for society. Full Article from Our Sunday Visitor.

A horrifying story about an Italian child that survived an abortion and was left to die a slow agonizing death. The Ayatollah's are probably right: we are the Great Satan. If God doesn't destroy the United States and Western Europe, He's going to have to apologize to Sodom and Gommorah.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Jihad Watch reports that the Saudi Sheik who is the head of the Religious Police in the Holy City of Mecca has drawn fire from conservative clerics for saying that Islam allows men and women to pray together. A Fatwa has been issued against him calling for his death.

Monday, April 26, 2010

Here's where the mainline Protestant denominations have gotten to theologically. The Presbyterian Layman reports that Margaret R. Miles, emerita professor of Historical Theology at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkley, California, will deliver a lecture in early May which advocates abolishing the cross as a Christian symbol and replacing it with a woman's lactating breast.

This would be funny if it wasn't true. Professor Miles' topic is "Revisioning Historical Theology." According to The Presbyterian Layman article:"In God's love, mother's milk," a January 2008 article that appeared in The Christian Century, Miles argued that the use of the cross to symbolize God's love was a latecomer to church history. An earlier and presumably more persuasive symbol of God's love, she claims, was the virgin's breast.

Although theologians may have claimed that crucifixion scenes exhibited the extremity of God's love for humans, it was scenes of the child sucking at the breast that spoke to people on the basis of their earliest experience," she said. This symbol was replaced by the cross, argued Miles, when patriarchal Western Europeans "secularized the breast."

Miles suggested that the cross is inappropriate as a symbol of God's love because "it presents a violent act as salvific."

"The equation of love with heroic violence and suffering is typically a male-centered perspective," she argued, leading to her conclusion that "the value of the nursing breast as a symbol of God's provision might need to be reconsidered in our own time . . . In societies in which violence is rampant on the street and in the media, the nursing virgin can perhaps communicate God's love to people in a way that a violent image, the image of one more sacrificial victim, cannot."

Except that Jesus of Nazareth is not just "one more sacrificial victim." He is God Incarnate, the Lord of the Universe, the Incarnate Word, the Eternal Word, the Logos, the Lamb of God, the Anointed One, and God With Us. Because of our human sinfulness, Jesus, being God incarnate in the form of a man, suffered, died, and then really, actually rose from the dead paving the way for all of us to actually, really rise from the dead as well.

Here at LOVE IN THE RUINS we are happy with our tired old out-moded orthodox backward patriarchal belief system. A letter to the editor of the print edition to The Presbyterian Layman opined: "I have closed my eyes to envision the Cross atop my church being replaced by a "lactating breast." Nothing came to me."

The BAD CATHOLIC doesn't know what religion Professor Miles is preaching, but it ain't Christianity.

Johann Christoph Arnold is the leader of the Bruderhof community, a Protestant group in the Anabaptist tradition. Reverend Arnold has written a very profound and perceptive article about the current media attacks against the Holy Father. Full Article from The Plough.

A Junior Officer in the British Foreign Office has written a briefing document saying that during his upcoming visit to Britian that Pope Benedict should visit an abortion clinic and perform a gay wedding. Full story from the Times Online.

Sunday, April 25, 2010

The BAD CATHOLIC bought and has been studying a copy of the Penny Catechism. (As a convert, I have a lot of childhood Catholic guilt to catch up on.) This is great stuff. A friend of mine who helps to teach the youth in our parish tells me that it is scary what our young folks don't know about the faith.

Over all, this catechism was well written in majestic English. This is almost poetry: "Why did God make you? God made me to know Him, love Him and serve Him in this world, and to be happy with Him forever in the next."

The Penny Catechism, so called because the early copies only cost a penny, pulls no punches when it comes to sin. "Where will they go who die in mortal sin? They who die in mortal sin will go to Hell for all eternity." Period. No Exceptions. Do not pass Go, Do Not Collect $200.

The sections on Prayer and the Rule of Life are wonderful. They are simple, straight forward and full of spiritual insight and wisdom. Just because something is old, doesn't mean that we need to discard it.

As if further evidence of the Decline and impending Fall of Western Civilization is needed, Inside Catholic reports that Archie Comics will soon have an "openly Gay character." Inside Catholic comments, if this guy is "openly gay," does that mean that Jughead has been "in the closet" for all these years?

Just like they don't believe that Catholics are "real Christians" either. For instance, the Bad Catholic's cousin and his wife and children are Southern Baptist missionaries to South America whose primary job, so far as I can determine, is to lead cradle Catholics away from the faith.

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Mark Rey was a German lawyer. Disgusted by the greed, corruption, and lack of interest in justice by his fellow lawyers, Mark Rey abandoned the law, became a Franciscan friar and a priest. Changing his name to Fidelis, he gave away all of his worldly wealth to poor people. He was commissioned by the Church to lead a mission to the Protestants of Switzerland to convert them back to the true faith. In 1622 he was attacked by a band of Calvinists and murdered.

Father, You filled Saint Fidelis with the fire of Your love and gave Him the privilege of dying that the faith might live. Let his prayers keep us firmly grounded in Your love, and help us to come to know the power of Christ's resurrection. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Friday, April 23, 2010

The Army has dis-invited Evangelist Franklin Graham to a prayer breakfast at the Pentagon after complaints by Muslims. Apparently, anyone who really believes in their religion, if that religion is other than Islam, is a crazed fanatic who must be banned. Full story here.

"Saint George was, according to tradition, a Roman soldier and priest in the Guard of Diocletion, who is venerated as a Christian martyr. In hagiography Saint George is one of the most venerated saints in the Roman Catholic Church, Anglican Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, Oriental Orthodox Church, and the Eastern Catholic Churches. He is immortalized in the tale of Saint George and the Dragon and is one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers. His memorial is celebrated on 23 April, and he is regarded as one of the most prominent military saints."

Prayer from The Liturgy of the Hours:Lord, hear the prayers of those who praise Your mighty power. As Saint George was ready to follow Christ in suffering and death, so may he be ready to help us in our weakness. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Saint Anselm was born at Aosta in Piedmont in 1033. He entered the Benedictine Order at the monastery of Bec in France. While he quickly progressed in the spiritual life, he taught theology to his fellow students. He went to England where he was appointed archbishop of Canterbury. He fought vigorously for the freedom of the Church, and for this he was twice exiled. He has achieved fame for his writings, especially those on mystical theology. He died in 1109.

From the Proslogion by Saint Anselm:The light in which you dwell, Lord, is beyond my understanding. It is so brillant that I cannot bear it, I cannot turn my mind's eye toward it for any lenght of time. I am dazzled by its brightness, amazed by its grandeur, overwhelmed by its immensity, bewildered by its abundance.

O supreme and inaccessible light, O complete and blessed truth, how far you are from me, even though I am so near to you! How remote you are from my sight, even though I am present to yours! You are everywhere in your entirety, and yet I do not see you; in you I move and have my being, and yet I cannot approach you; you are within me and around me, and yet I do not perceive you.

O God, let me know you and love you so that I may find my joy in you; and if I cannot do so fully in this life, let me at least make some progress every day, until at last that knowledge, love and joy come to me in all their plenitude. While I am here on earth let me learn to know you better, so that in heaven I may know you fully; let my love for you grow deeper here, so that there I may love you fully. On earth I shall have great joy in hope, and in heaven complete joy in the fulfillment of my hope.

PRAYER: Father, You called Saint Anselm to study and teach the sublime truths You have revealed. Let Your gift of faith come to the aid of our understanding and open our hearts to Your truth. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Monday, April 19, 2010

Way back when I was an Assistant District Attorney, I have had a root doctor spell cast on me by the sister of an armed robber (no joke!). That's probably what's wrong with me. Good post about South Georgia vodoo here.

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Yesterday, I watched the movie 84 Charing Cross Road with Anne Bancroft and Anthony Hopkins from 1987. After watching the movie, I sat down and read the charming little book of letters that the movie is based on.

Helene Hanff was a charming eccentric who loved to read. 84 Charing Cross Road is her correspondence beginning in 1949 and ending in 1969 with some people who work in a little bookstore located at 84 Charing Cross Road in London.

Helene Hanff

In this age of email and text messaging, letter writing is a lost art. Apparently, so is reading well. Very few people then did the kind of reading that Helene Hanff did, and I suspect that there are even fewer today in the "age of information." (How can we live in an "information age" yet be more ignorant and illiterate than ever before?).

Ms. Hanff's letters were primarily answered by Frank Doel, an employee of the bookstore, and ended in 1969 after Mr. Doel's sudden death. There are also letters in the book from other people employed by the bookstore as well as Mr. Doel's wife and neighbor.

In this letter, dated November 18, 1949, which I find particularly amusing, Ms. Hanff has ordered a latin bible. She is expecting a copy of the Vulgate. That is not what she got:

WHAT KIND OF A BLACK PROTESTANT BIBLE IS THIS?

Kindly inform the Church of England they have loused up the most beautiful prose ever written, whoever told them to tinker with the Vulgate Latin? They'll burn for it, you mark my words.

It's nothing to me, I'm Jewish myself. But I have a Catholic sister-in-law, a Methodist sister-in-law, a whole raft of Presbyterian cousins (through my Great-Uncle Abraham who converted) and an aunt who's a Christian Science healer, and I like to think none of them would countenance this Anglican Latin Bible if they knew it existed. (As it happens, they don't know Latin existed).

Well, the hell with it. I've been using my Latin teacher's Vulgate, what I imagine I'll do is just not give it back till you find me one of my own.

Helene Hanff in later years.

Or this, dated "sunday night and a hell of a way to start 1960". Helene tells Frank Doel that a friend has given her a Modern Library edition of the complete poems of John Donne and William Blake.

"Will you please tell me what those two boys have in common?-except they were both English and they both Wrote? I tried reading the Introduction figuring that might explain it. The Introduction is in four parts. Parts I and II include a Professor's life of Donne mit-illustrations-from-the-authors-works-also-criticism. Part III begins-and God knows I quote:

"When, as a little boy, William Blake saw the prophet Ezekiel under a tree amid a summer field, he was soundly trounced by his mother."

I'm with his mother. I mean, the back of the Lord God or the face of the Virgin Mary, all right - but why the hell would anybody want to see the prophet Ezekiel?"

Anyone who hasn't read this charming little book, or seen the movie, needs to go out and get both right now. Don't wait.

O God, whose blessed Son made himself known to His disciples in the breaking of bread: Open the eyes of our faith, that we may behold Him in all His redeeming work; who lives and reigns with You, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

As a confirmed bibliophile, I thought that this Southern Baptist Seminary President's personal library was pretty cool. I am going to have to re-evaluate my usual response to the question, "Why did you leave the Baptist Church?" I used to say, "Because I learned how to read and write." Of course, too much study is dangerous, it has a tendency to make one Catholic.

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Jesus told Peter, "And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Matthew 16:18 (K.J.V.). The secular world expects the Catholic Church to just fold up and disappear. Mark Shea at The National Catholic Register has a great article about why the reports of the demise of the Catholic Church are greatly exaggerated.

Right from the beginning, the Church faced odds which were, from any logical viewpoint, insuperable. A dozen uneducated men, mostly fishermen by trade, from an insignificant captive nation in a remote and desolate part of the world, were sent out to preach the Gospel to all nations. They had no transportation, no efficient means of communication, no special skills in personal persuasion. Objectively speaking, they had no earthly hope of success.

No, the Apostles had something much more powerful than any earthly hope. Since they could not place their confidence in any logical process, or any material resources, they relied entirely on the power of the Holy Spirit. And they succeeded.

If the Catholic Church is nothing more than a human institution, it will not survive beyond the next generation or two. But then, if the Catholic Church is only a human institution, it does not deserve to survive. If, however, the Church is an institution founded by God - if it is the living Body of Christ - then she will certainly survive and flourish in spite of all earthly handicaps.

Jesus said: "Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers." Luke 11: 46 (K.J.V.)

"The law is a jealous mistress." Oliver Wendell Holmes.

The BAD CATHOLIC normally keeps his personal life off of this blog. However, this week he feels totally exhausted from three straight days in Court.

If I do what I should do, I should spend the entire weekend in the office working catching up on desk work. This morning, DAY 3 of Court marathon, I've got an entire morning of people who hate each other to deal with. Of course, I'm grateful that I am gainfully employed in these tough economic times. Because of the nature of our practice, we are overrun with business during the recession. (The Bankruptcy Courts are full and so are the jails!).

I just wanted to take this opportunity of personal privilege to tell the entire world how much I HATE THE LEGAL PROFESSION! I hate lawyers. (There I said it). That's why I became one, why I married one, and why I deal with them all day. I have a book in my library which is a history of English Barristers which is called ALL JANGLE AND RIOT. That just about sums it up.

The BAD CATHOLIC hereby invites the entire world to feel free to post their complaints about lawyers, courts, and the legal profession in general.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

The scribes and the chief priests tried to lay hands on him at that very hour, but they feared the people; for they perceived that he had told this parable against them. So they watched him, and sent spies, who pretended to be sincere, that they might take hold of what he said, so as to deliver him up to the authority and jurisdiction of the governor. They asked him, "Teacher, we know that you speak and teach rightly, and show no partiality, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar, or not?" But he perceived their craftiness, and said to them, "Show me a coin. Whose likeness and inscription has it?" They said, "Caesar's." He said to them, "Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." And they were not able in the presence of the people to catch him by what he said; but marveling at this answer they were silent.Luke 20: 19-26 (R.S.V.)

Saint Martin was born at Todi in Umbria. He became a member of the clergy of Rome and was elected pope in 649. He convened the council which condemned the heresy of the Monothelites. In 653 he was taken prisoner by the Emperor Constans and detained in Constantinople where he was forced to suffer many indignities. Finally, having been exiled to Kherson, he died in 656.Merciful God, our Father, neither hardship, pain, nor the threat of death could weaken the faith of Saint Martin. Through our faith, give us the courage to endure whatever sufferings the world may inflict upon us. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

An attorney for the Holy See has refuted the media's report regarding the letter signed by Cardinal Ratzinger regarding an American priest guilty of sexual abuse of children. Story from Radio Vatican here.

My good friend, Yocheved Artzi, gave a presentation on her book Stealing German Bread in Tallahassee, Florida for Holocaust Memorial Day. Full story from the Tallahassee Democrat. The Bad Catholic review of Yocheved's book is found here.

The Bad Catholic recently got into a little debate with a Baptist Minister over the devotion of Catholics to the Blessed Virgin Mary. His post attacking devotion to the Blessed Mother and my comments in response are found here.

Father Philip Neri Powell has a post on his blog which provoked an interesting discussion which the Bad Catholic chimed in on. Father Powell links to a number of conservative commentators who have said things like Mark Levin's comment that "Obama is the closest thing to a dictator we've ever had."

Father Powell asks his readers to consider whether the commentary has gone over the top. I have made it clear on this blog that I am not a fan of Barack Obama. However, looking back at American history, American Presidents have done some really bad things that are way worse than anything the Obama Administration has done yet.

1. Barack Obama has not passed and signed a law making it a criminal offense to publicly criticize the President like John Adams did. (The Alien and Sedition Acts).

2. Barack Obama has not violated a treaty and a decision of the Supreme Court to forcibly remove an entire race of people from their homes resulting in a death march causing the death of hundreds like Andrew Jackson did (The Cherokee Removal).

3. Barack Obama has not suspended the Writ of Habeas Corpus and imprisoned hundreds of American citizens without trial like Lincoln did.

4. Barack Obama has not arrested and interred thousands of American citizens without trial because of their race like Franklin Roosevelt did. (The internment of Japanese Americans).

Those of us who don't like the President's policies should make it clear that we are a loyal opposition. In my humble opinion, a lot of the current rhetoric is over the top.

British art musuem goers no longer understand enough about Christianity to understand medieval art. The Victoria and Albert Museum has been engaged in re-vamping their displays assuming that the viewers know nothing about the Christian religion or Catholicism. Full story here.

Israel National News reports that the Chief Rabbi of Poland was scheduled to be on the Presidential airplane which crashed leaving no survivors. The Rabbi was not aboard because he declined to go when he found out that the trip would be made on the Sabbath.

While we're on the United Nations, apparently, some Holocaust denier is speaking at the United Nations headquarters in New York. So, the U.N. wants to prosecute the Holy Father but denying the Holocaust is OK. Full story from Rick's American Cafe.

Some troll of a judge on the U.N. World Court is calling for the arrest and prosecution of Pope Benedict for "crimes against humanity." Brothers and Sisters, if you don't think we will soon face active persecution by the secular authorities just for being a loyal Catholic, think again. As the linked article shows, these people are serious. To show how marginalized the Catholic Church is in the modern world, consider that not even Hitler was prepared to move openly against the Papacy. O, what evil times we live in! Maybe the end of days is near. Full story here.

Saint Stanislaus was born in the town of Szczepanow in Poland around the year 1030. He studied in Paris and was ordained to the priesthood. In 1071 he succeeded Bishop Lambert at Cracow. In this post he ruled as a good shepherd by helping the poor and visiting his clerics every year. He courageously rebuked King Boleslaus who put him to death in 1097. (Source: Liturgy of the Hours).

How interesting that the feast day of the Patron of Poland falls this year on the same day as Divine Mercy Sunday right after the disaster involving the leaders of Poland. If I were a religious man, I might read something into that . . . .

Father, to honor You, Saint Stanislaus faced martyrdom with courage. Keep us strong and loyal in our faith until death. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Eternal Father, I offer You the body and blood, soul and divinity, of Your dearly beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins, and those of the whole world. For the sake of His sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world. Amen.

Saturday, April 10, 2010

The President of Poland, his wife, and many of the top political and military leaders have been killed in an airplane crash in route to Russia. Full story here. Let us pause and pray for the people of Poland.

This is why, in retrospect, it probably was a good thing for the Popes to loose control of the Papal States. Christ said "My Kingdom is not of this world." The Popes could not really take the moral high ground while they were busy being secular rulers.

We must always remember that Saint Peter, the first pope, denied Christ three times and most of the other Apostles ran away in fright from the crucifixion. Why should we expect anything better from their successors. The Church will survive this crisis as it has survived all the others. The shame is that our pastors have brought the shame down upon the Church themselves. Here's a good article by John Zmirak at Inside Catholic.

We thank You, heavenly Father, that you have delivered us from the dominion of sin and death and brought us into the kingdom of Your Son; and we pray that, as by His death He has recalled us to life, so by His love He may raise us to eternal joys; who lives and reigns with You, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

It's because we are all sinners, from the most exalted Cardinal to the lowliest layman. The Church is a hospital for sinners. You don't need to conduct a survey to know that 100% of the membership of the Church consists of sinners.

Almighty Father, who gave Your only Son to die for our sins and rise for our justification: Give us grace so to put away the leaven of malice and wickedness, that we may always serve You in pureness of living and truth; through Jesus Christ Your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Almighty and everlasting God, who in the Paschal mystery established the new covenant of reconciliation: Grant that all who have been reborn into the fellowship of Christ's Body may show forth in their lives what they profess by their faith; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

O God, whose blessed Son made Himself known to His disciples in the breaking of bread: Open the eyes of our faith, that we may behold Him in all His redeeming work; who lives and reigns with You, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God now and for ever. Amen.(Source 1979 BCP).

As if further evidence of the Decline and impending Fall of Western Civilization is needed, Inside Catholic reports that Archie Comics w...

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"For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men."1 Corinthians 1:22-25.

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Benjamin Keiley, the 7th bishop of the Diocese of Savannah, Georgia, was admired by Georgians of all faiths for his service in the army of Robert E. Lee during the Civil War. Keiley served as bishop of the diocese until 1922.

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"I, for example, am a Roman Catholic, albeit a bad one. I believe in the Holy Catholic Apostolic and Roman Church, in God the Father, in the election of the Jews, in Jesus Christ His Son our Lord, who founded the Church on Peter his first vicar, which will last until the end of the world. . . . I believe in God and the whole business but I love women best, music and science next, whiskey next, God fourth, and my fellowman hardly at all. Generally I do as I please. A man, wrote John, who says he believes in God and does not keep his commandments is a liar. If John is right, then I am a liar. Nevertheless, I believe."

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LOVE IN THE RUINS: THE ADVENTURES OF A BAD CATHOLIC AT A TIME NEAR THE END OF THE WORLD